Laboratory apparatus shields



April 7, 1964 Filed Aug. 2, 1960 INVENTOR Danv'e 5 Can/aw BY 2 5 I Al IORNEY United States Patent 3,127,855 LABORATORY APPARATUS SHIELDS Daniel R. Conlon, Instruments for Research & Industry, Cheltenham, Pa. Filed Aug. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 46,950 3 mm. (Cl. 109-495) This invention relates to a laboratory apparatus shield, and more particularly to such a shield having a wide range of application.

It is the principal object of the present invention toprovide a laboratory apparatus shield which is readily portable but possesses great stability.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a laboratory apparatus shield of shatter resistant material so as to afford protection for laboratory technicians against violent reactions, flying glass and splashes from hot or corrosive liquids.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a laboratory apparatus shield that affords a wide angle of vision with a wide angle of protection.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a laboratory apparatus shield that is of simple and sturdy construction but inexpensive to manufacture.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a laboratory apparatus shield that can be used to shield many types of laboratory equipment.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a laboratory apparatus shield that is compact, economical of space and permits of easy access to shielded equipment.

Other objects and advantageous feactures of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a laboratory apparatus shield in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the shield shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken approxi mately on the line 33 of FIG. 1, the thickness of the components being exaggerated; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 44 of FIG. 1, the thickness of the components also being exaggerated.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a preferred form of shield in accordance with the present invention is illustrated and includes an upright body 15 of curved shape horizontally considered. The shield body 15 is of transparent material which is relatively inert to the action of water and other liquids, is rigid and retentive of its shape, and is relatively free from any tendency to shatter or is resistant to shatter upon impact.

Any suitable material may be used, synthetic plastic sheet stock of substantially uniform thickness being preferred for the shield body 15. For many applications, an acrylic resin can advantageously be employed.

The shield body 15 in the preferred embodiment is formed from stock that is semi-cylindrical in shape, in

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which a generating line of the boundary surface moves parallel to itself in a curved path.

The shield 15, as illustrated, has a bottom or base edge 16, side marginal edges 17, and a top marginal edge 18.

The bottom or base edge 16 is formed by cutting the sheet stock on a plane at an acute angle with the generating line of the shield body 15. The inclination of the bottom edge 16 with respect to the remainder of the body 15 is provided to obtain better stability and balance of the shield body 15 than is possible with a straight vertical face. The side marginal edges 17 extend vertically upwardly and are formed by cutting the stock in such a manner that they are substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane in which the bottom edge 16 is disposed. The side marginal edges 17 are joined by the top marginal edge 18 which in addition to its converging curvature is also curved away from the plane in which the side marginal edges 17 are disposed.

The body 15 has an inner face 19 and an outer face 20, the uppermost portion of the inner face 19 meeting the top marginal edge 18.

At the top of the body and spaced downwardly from the top marginal edge there are two finger access holes 21 for transporting the shield body 15.

In order to obtain greater stability than is possible with the weight of the body 15 alone, additional weight is provided, preferably in the form of a lead plate 22 attached to the body 15 by means of a bolt 23 and nut 24. The plate 22 is fastened onto the outside surface of the face 20, bent to follow the curvature of the face and extends over the side portions 17 and bottom edge 16, terminating on the inside face 19. In a particular embodiment the weight of the complete shield can be of the order of twelve pounds, the height may be about twenty-eight inches and the width about fifteen inches.

It will be noted that the compact construction enables the shield to be placed close to the edge of a table, the shield can be nested for storage and accordingly nested for use when lamination is desired to afford greater protection and that the shield can be placed in enclosing relation to the apparatus or to the worker as desired, while providing a wide range of vision and wide angle of protection.

I claim:

1. A laboratory apparatus shield comprising an upright self-supporting body of rigid transparent sheet material resistant to shatter upon impact, said body having a horizontal base edge with spaced upright side margins extending therefrom and a top margin connecting said side margins, said body having inner and outer faces and having a curved configuration between said side margins, with the generating line of the curved configuration between said side margins being inclined with respect to the base edge whereby the center of gravity of the body is below the midpoint of the height.

2. A shield as defined in claim 1 in which said body has a lead plate attached thereto and extending along the lower end of said body in enclosing relation to said horizontal base edge for imparting stability of position to said shield and protecting said body.

3. A laboratory apparatus shield comprising an upright self-supporting body of rigid transparent sheet material, said body having a horizontal base edge with spaced upright side margins extending therefrom and a top margin connecting said side margins, said body having inner and 3 4- Outer faces and having a curved configuration between 1,532,008 Walford Mar. 31, 1925 said side margins, said body having a lead plate attached 1,729,086 Fremont Sept. 24, 1929 thereto at the lower part thereof for protecting said shield 2,589,993 comiskey Man 13, 5 and providing stability of positioning.

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 OTHER REFERENCES UNITED STATES PATENTS Fisher Scientific Company (and Eimer & Amend) Mod- Re. 23,039 Comigkey Sept, 1, 1 ml Laboratory Appliances, Copyright 1942 p 1,239,916 Jose Sept. 11, 1917 

1. A LABORATORY APPARATUS SHIELD COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT SELF-SUPPORTING BODY OF RIGID TRANSPARENT SHEET MATERIAL RESISTANT TO SHATTER UPON IMPACT, SAID BODY HAVING A HORIZONTAL BASE EDGE WITH SPACED UPRIGHT SIDE MARGINS EXTENDING THEREFROM AND A TOP MARGIN CONNECTING SAID SIDE MARGINS, SAID BODY HAVING INNER AND OUTER FACES AND HAVING A CURVED CONFIGURATION BETWEEN SAID SIDE MARGINS, WITH THE GENERATING LINE OF THE CURVED CONFIGURATION BETWEEN SAID SIDE MARGINS BEING INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO THE BASE EDGE WHEREBY THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE BODY IS BELOW THE MIDPOINT OF THE HEIGHT. 